80R20387 JGH-D

By: Gonzalez Toureilles H.R. No. 2406

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Proud residents of McMullen County are gathering in Austin to celebrate McMullen County Day at the State Capitol on May 21, 2007; and

WHEREAS, Located in the center of South Texas, McMullen County is made up of more than 1,000 square miles of flat and rolling brushland; human settlement in the county dates back perhaps as far as 11,000 years, with artifacts from the Paleo-Indian period of 9200-6000 B.C.E. having been discovered; the region has been home to groups of hunter-gatherers from about 1000 A.D. until the 1700s, when the Coahuiltecan Indians and then the Lipan Apaches were forced out, and several Spanish expeditions passed through the area in the 17th and 18th centuries; and

WHEREAS, Named for the Irish pioneer John McMullen, the county was established in 1858, but the population was sparse, made up mainly of outlaws and desperadoes; shortly before the Civil War, settlers began to move into the area to take advantage of the grasslands for the raising of cattle and the capture of wild mustangs; and

WHEREAS, A group of resourceful adventurers established a settlement where the Leoncita Creek flowed into the Rio Frio; the town was first called Rio Frio, then Dog Town, and finally Tilden, after Samuel J. (Whispering Sammy) Tilden, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for president in 1876; the town eventually became the county seat; and

WHEREAS, Cattle and sheep ranching dominate the county's economy, though oil and gas have grown in importance since the 1930s, and the county is also a destination for hunters; and

WHEREAS, McMullen County residents are stewards of an area of fascinating history and culture, and their unique county merits special recognition; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby recognize May 21, 2007, as McMullen County Day at the State Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting delegation for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin.